$90M Mesothelioma Verdict Based on Evidence of Conspiracy by Manufacturers and Employers

Rick is a Virginia injury attorney who handles car accidents, medical malpractice, FELA, wrongful death, etc.

2/6/2012
Richard N. Shapiro
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$90M Mesothelioma Verdict Based on Evidence of Conspiracy by Manufacturers and Employers

After hearing evidence for five weeks, a jury in McLean County, Illinois (IL), awarded a retired pipefitter who developed mesothelioma after spending years working with asbestos insulation a total of $89.6 million in compensatory and punitive damages. The defendants -- Honeywell International Inc., Pneumo Abex, Owens-Illinois Inc. and John Crane Inc. -- were found to have participated in a conspiracy to conceal the dangers asbestos fibers posed to employee and to have failed to warn workers about, or protect them against, breathing in airborne asbestos.

These videos explain what mesothelioma is, how it develops and what symptoms the incurable disease causes:
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Unsurprisingly, Owens-Illinois, which was a leading manufacturer of asbestos products for much of the middle of the last century, has vowed to fight paying its share of the verdict. The company denies having known and kept silent about deadly occupational illnesses linked to workplace exposure to asbestos. As a Virginia (VA) personal injury and wrongful death attorney who has represented dozens of mesothelioma sufferers, however, I know that corporations that made and used asbestos insulation learned of the risks as early as the 1930s.

Because I specialize in helping former railroad workers pursue FELA claims against railroads, I have learned that many, if not most, corporations went out their way to continue using materials and enforcing work procedures and policies that unnecessarily imperiled their employees' short- and long-term health. I also know that because mesothelioma can develop as long as 40 years after asbestos exposure, cases of the fatal lung disease will continue cropping up in retired railroaders, shipyard workers, military personnel, factory workers, plumbers and former members of all professions for decades to come.

While claims for punitive damages cannot be brought under the provisions of the Federal Employers Liability Act, the law does hold employers who acted negligently in unsafely exposing employees to asbestos to strict liability. That law, and welcome verdicts like the one in Illinois, go a long way to holding companies responsible for the pain and suffering they caused workers they failed to adequately protect.

EJL

Category: Railroad Injury/FELA

Labels: asbestos asbestos use by railroads cancer employees failure to warn jury award lung disease mesothelioma occupational illness punitive damages railroad Shapiro Virginia FELA attorney workers wrongful death

About the Editors: Shapiro, Lewis & Appleton is a Virginia injury law firm whose attorneys focus on personal injury and accident law and have handled hundreds of Federal Employers' Liability Act claims for railroad workers hurt or made ill while doing their rail jobs. We also have represented many people injured in train accidents. Please take a few moments to review our railroad injury case results. Our primary offices are in Virginia Beach and Hampton, VA, but we're ready to come to you anywhere in Virginia if you've been seriously hurt by someone else's carelessness.

Rick Shapiro and James Lewis have been included among the Best Lawyers in America since 2008, and have been named Virginia Super Lawyers for Personal Injury Law since 2010. Fewer than 5 percent of lawyers are chosen for this professional honor.

In addition, we were the first injury law firm in Virginia to join Primerus, a select group of highly ethical and respected law firms. Our firm has the highest rating of AV from Martindale-Hubbell, a national lawyer ranking organization, which means we have a reputation for preeminent legal skill. Our attorneys have even been included in the National Million Dollar Advocates Forum since 2009.

We would like to send you one of our free reports about railroad injury and FELA cases, including Dos & Don'ts When Injured at a Railroad: Your FELA Rights and What Railroad Claim Agents Agents Won't Tell You (But You Must Know).

While not every injury case meets our criteria, we offer a free initial confidential injury case consultations, so call us toll free at (800) 752-0042. If you cannot get through due to high call volume, please leave a voicemail so we can return your call.

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$90M Mesothelioma Verdict Based on Evidence of Conspiracy by Manufacturers and Employers

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